3 Best Restaurants in Upper South Island and the West Coast, New Zealand

In Marlborough visit a winery restaurant—there's no better way to ensure that your meal suits what you're drinking. Cloudy Bay clams are harvested here, salmon and Greenshell mussels are farmed in the Marlborough Sounds, and local crops—besides grapes—include cherries and garlic. In Kaikoura try crayfish. The region is named after this delicacy (In M?ori, kai means "food" and koura means "lobster"). Nelson is also famous for seafood, in particular scallops, and for fresh produce and, yes, for wine. On the West Coast, try the local delicacy whitebait fritters—a sort of omelet filled with the whitebait—tiny, young eel-like fish netted at river mouths as they migrate upstream in late spring.

Some restaurants in more remote tourist regions close in winter (June through August); others may curtail their hours. In summer, all doors are open and it's best to make reservations. If a restaurant is open on a major holiday, it may add a surcharge to your bill.

Year-round, the restaurants and cafés around the glaciers and other remote spots can be quick to close their doors at night. Arrive by 8:30 (it's sometimes even earlier in winter) or you might go hungry. Some of the smallest towns, including Punakaiki, settlements in the Marlborough Sounds, and parts of Golden Bay, have few cafés and no general stores, so bring your own supplies.

Arbour

$$$$ Fodor's Choice

A friendly and very stylish eatery, Arbour is innovative and critically acclaimed yet so laid-back and hospitable. The quality produce is matched with quality local wine. Owners Bradley and Liz have brought their international, five-star hospitality experience to Arbour, just out of town on the way to the airport. The decor is simple yet sophisticated, and the garden comes into its own in summer. The signature menu is seven-course dining experience, with the option to purchase wine pairing, the ever-changing dishes showcasing a local producers and Marlborough stories.

Hopgoods & Co.

$$$$ Fodor's Choice

Chef–owner Kevin Hopgood focuses on using regional produce and regularly wins national restaurant awards for this small, eponymously named bistro-restaurant. Along with the à la carte menu, Hopgoods offers a five-course degustation tasting spectacle. This dinner spot is likely to be busy, though the service is always attentive and discreet.

Buccleugh's on High

$$$$

Located inside the Recreation Hotel (known by locals as “The Rec”) on the main street through Greymouth, Buccleugh’s serves quality food from 5:30 am until late every day. Head there for a big breakfast before setting off on your activities for the day. The lunch and dinner menu features Kiwi fare from the land and sea, like blue cod, whitebait, and venison. Plenty of gluten-free and vegetarian options are offered. There's a busy sports bar separate to the restaurant, where you can order a snack or a meal through the bistro window to enjoy with a drink and catch whatever game is on.

Upper South Island and the West Coast

Upper South Island and the West Coast

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